"One of the main things I care about is improving my game to win a Grand Slam" - Major glory the target for Alexander Zverev amid reaching Miami Open semi-final

Alexander Zverev was delighted with his performance as he thrashed a hapless Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Miami Open semi-final. He reiterated how important these tournaments and runs were in moulding his game for the Grand Slam tournaments while analysing what he could do to take down Jannik Sinner to book a second Miami Open final spot.

Zverev, along with the world number two, were the only top 10 players left in the tournament at this stage after many of the big names suffered damaging defeats in the early stages of proceedings. The German was able to avoid such disappointment as he made it to a third Miami Open semi-final and marking the first time he has reached this stage in both Sunshine swing Masters 1000 tournaments in the same campaign.

He did not waste any time booking his spot in the next stage; just 65 minutes on court was enough to defeat the tricky Argentine who could not produce his best game. The signs were ominous from early on. Aside from the first game, Zverev was basically untouchable on serve, breaking twice enroute to a 5-0 lead. Cerundolo got on the board but the world number three quickly wrapped up the first set. After an early hold for Cerundolo, Zverev continued to show his class, again winning five games on the trot to sail into a 5-1 lead. Three holds to love saw out the match as Zverev continues his eye-catching start to 2026.

He was not overly pleased with his first point, however. "I started with a double fault, so the first point of the match was 'perfect,'" he began with a smile when speaking to the Tennis Channel. "No, I mean, I felt good. My serve felt good, even though I started with a double fault. I also felt really good on the returns—I think my first return point was a winner. It’s not easy to do, but when I’m capable of it, it’s tough for my opponent. Maybe he didn’t play his best either, but I felt really good out there."

Zverev came into this match with a plan, and the execution was on point. "As I said, the serve and return were key," he explained. "He didn’t feel comfortable—he didn’t feel free. There were no free points for him. I felt like I put him under pressure from the first moment. When I can do that and feel like I’m the aggressor, I feel good on the court. It’s not easy to do, but when I’m capable of it, it’s tough for my opponent. Maybe he didn’t play his best either, but I felt really good out there."

Zverev currently sits ninth in the all-time Masters 1000 matches on with 167 having outright overtaken Stan Wawrinka in Florida. He is closing in on David Ferrer with, Pete Samparas with 190 and Tomas Berdych with 191 wins a piece. This milestone could be close to being achieved but that is not on the mind of the seven-time Masters 1000 champion.

"Not that much, to be honest. I’m probably not going to break any records," he admitted, focusing on other priorities. "One of the main things I care about is improving my game to win a Grand Slam. That’s my main focus and goal—and I do feel like I’m capable of it."

It is certain that his game is in better condition than last year. After reaching the Australian Open final, he was not able to produce his best tennis regularly enough throughout the year, showing glimmers at the end before taking it up a level in 2026 with some big semi-final appearances. He went out at the fourth round in last year's event, backing up a hugely upsetting second round defeat at Indian Wells.

"Last year, I didn’t feel that way. I was playing badly and was injured quite a lot," he said. "When you’re playing with pain and aches all the time, and you’re not free on the court, it’s tough to play your best tennis. Your confidence drops, and it’s hard to get out of that situation—especially in the tough moments that Grand Slams bring. This year, I feel different. I feel like it can happen—and it will happen."

The pair met as recently as a couple of weeks ago in the semi-final of Indian Wells. The Italian made it six wins on the spin to compound Zverev to more misery. This will be their fifth match since the end of October as the three-time Grand Slam finalist looks to finally get one over a frustrating competitor.

"We’ve had some very close matches over the last couple of years, and all of them have gone his way. So I just hope for a different outcome," he stated. "In Indian Wells, I played a bad match—my serve really let me down. I was serving terribly. So I hope that changes, and I’ll do my best."

If he is going to stand a chance against the Indian Wells champion, he will need to be efficient when coming into the net. "In every match I try to use it, but against Jannik it’s more difficult than against others," he commented.

"That’s because of his ball speed—it’s one of the highest on tour. He stays close to the baseline and doesn’t give you much space. So you have to be aggressive in other ways as well. But yes, I’ll try everything I can. I’ll try to be the one who dominates the points, even though it’s difficult against him. We’ll see how it goes."